‘I’m not fully fit. Match fitness is a massive thing in football. You can’t get it on the training pitch, so I have been doing my own stuff with the fitness coach. Now hopefully I can get more minutes.’

Barton’s chances of starting at Bristol Rovers on Saturday have been boosted following Michael Doyle’s sending off against Oxford.

Pompey’s skipper picked up two yellow cards – and a one-match ban – to leave the visitors to see out the final nine minutes with 10 men.

As for Barton, who had only previously played against Exeter in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, he was satisfied with his own introduction into game.

He added: ‘I admit I was sloppy at times.

‘After being out so long you cannot go straight in and do everything right but I thought I had enough touches to try to influence the game.

‘I am exactly what the gaffer wants in a holding midfielder, somebody who likes to collect the ball from defence and play.

‘That is pretty much what I like to do.

‘I’ve got a laid-back personality, for me it feels like I am going 100mph, for everyone else it looks like I’m going about 1mph!’